


chapter 16 alternate ending

by hufflepuffelizabeth



Category: The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Fix-It, Gen, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2020-12-18
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:01:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28151322
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hufflepuffelizabeth/pseuds/hufflepuffelizabeth
Summary: Alternate ending/fix-it for season 2. Spoilers for the finale!“He likes soup. And eggs. And cookies. And frogs. But...but don’t let him eat frogs.”“I’ll keep him away from frogs, then.”“No,” Din says quickly. Grogu coos. “No, he likes frogs. Playing with frogs. Just don’t let him put frogs in his mouth.”
Relationships: Din Djarin & Grogu | Baby Yoda
Comments: 26
Kudos: 417





	chapter 16 alternate ending

Grogu and the Jedi are nearly to the lift when Din takes half a step forward.

The Jedi senses Din’s hesitation - or maybe he sees Grogu’s hand reaching back towards Din over the Jedi’s shoulder. Either way, he pauses mid-step and faces him. Grogu shifts around so he can still see Din.

“Is everything alright?” asks the Jedi. 

“He, uh.“ Din talks to the Jedi, but his eyes are locked on Grogu. “He likes soup. And eggs. And cookies. And frogs. But...but don’t let him eat frogs.”

The Jedi’s eyes are kind. With a hint of a smile, he nods. “I’ll keep him away from frogs, then.”

“No,” Din says quickly. Grogu coos. “No, he likes frogs. Playing with frogs. Just don’t let him put frogs in his mouth.”

The Jedi is fully smiling now. Din tries to smile back, tries to smile at Grogu, but he can’t quite manage it. When Din doesn’t say anything more, the Jedi continues his walk to the lift. The Jedi’s astromech stays facing Din for a moment longer, beeps mournfully and spins his head back and forth, like he's seen this happen before, then follows the Jedi.

Din watches as the Jedi takes Grogu farther and farther away. With each step, a heavy weight grows in his chest until he can barely breathe, but he pushes the feeling aside and forces himself to keep a steady eye on Grogu as he approaches the lift. He and the kid have just found each other again and now Grogu is leaving. Din doesn’t know how long Jedi training takes, what it involves, where the Jedi even live. Is there a way to get in contact with this Jedi? What if someone tries to come after the kid again? The Jedi is obviously a skilled fighter, Din tries to reassure himself, and if the Jedi had wanted Din to be able to contact Grogu, he would have given him his comlink code. Din knows, somehow, that he and Grogu will see one another again - but how long will that be? Will Grogu even remember him?

The Jedi is about to step into the lift when Din remembers the small round knob he’d salvaged from the wreckage of the Razor Crest. He takes it out of his pocket, holds it in his palm, and clasps his hand around it. He had held it over and over again in the time it had taken to track down Grogu. It had been his only physical reminder of the child, since everything else had been destroyed along with the Razor Crest. He can see why the kid likes it so much - the groove running along the middle is good for fiddling with. Din keeps it for one more moment, committing Grogu’s favorite toy to memory, then holds it up between his thumb and index finger.

“Grogu,” Din calls.

Grogu gurgles happily. The kid holds out grabby hands for the sphere and within moments, pulls it across the hallway and into his grip. Din’s smile comes easier this time, but he has to wipe at his eyes with the back of his hand. The Jedi steps into the lift, his droid following.

“Dadadadada,” Grogu babbles, smiling at Din and still reaching towards him with his free hand. 

Grogu has never spoken before, and Din doesn’t know whether the kid is saying gibberish or if he has just said his first word. He’ll never know. He clenches both his hands into fists and uses all his will to keep himself from taking Grogu back.

“Dadadada,” Grogu repeats, looking right at Din.

Din takes a deep, shuddering breath and another step forward. The Jedi notices - he turns around and sticks out his free hand to hold the lift doors open.

“The other Jedi,” Din says, his voice rough. “She said she and Grogu could feel each other’s thoughts. Does he know...will you remind him I…”

The Jedi startles at Din’s words. He crosses the entire distance between them in the time it takes Din to blink. He stops just a few steps from Din.

The Jedi doesn’t protest when Din takes Grogu into his arms, hugs the child tightly, and presses their foreheads together, trying to convey just how much he loves the kid. Grogu holds Din’s thumb with his free hand and Din thinks the kid understands.

Din isn’t sure if he’ll ever be able to let Grogu go again. The Jedi and the Mandalorians have been enemies for eons, but that doesn’t matter. Grogu is Din’s only priority. He isn’t sure how many Jedi are left, but they could use someone to watch their backs. Din could look out for Grogu while the Jedi train the kid, be there for him as he grows up. He doesn’t know much about the Jedi but he can learn to live with them, for Grogu’s sake.

The Jedi is still shaken. With wide, searching eyes, he asks, “The other Jedi?”

**Author's Note:**

> *cue mando end credit music*


End file.
